HD Vision Wraparounds: Does it Work?

In the commerical, HD Vision Wraparounds promise they'll "fit right over your prescription glasses giving you clarity and better vision like you've never experienced before."

I gotta admit when I saw these sunglasses I laughed out loud. First, they're pretty bulky, in my opinion. And...I mean really...can you honestly slip on a pair of shades and see everything in high-definition, just like TV? Well, maybe the laugh's on me?

I asked a group of retirees to try on these shades. They meet once a month at a local café to share coffee and reminisce about the times they worked together at JCPenney's. They affectionately call themselves the "Penny Loafers," but maybe they should be the "Penny Laughers!"

Debbie from Chaffee says: "My husband has a pair and he likes 'em."

Phyllis White of Scotty City tries them on and says, " Oh, I like that! It really does cut down on glare!"

Neva Kaye Ross of Cape Girardeau slips on the glasses and stares at her friend remarking, "Oh, honey! I see every wrinkle on your face!" and laughter erupts at the table!

"Why don't you all chip in a buy me a pair?" asks the only male in the group this morning, Gary Metje of Cape Girardeau.

What a hoot this group is! Every single Penny Loafer loves these shades.

"So, a big difference huh?" I ask Mrs. Metje. "Oh yeah," she says.

The shades do fit right over their prescription lenses....as promised. Still, at least one tester shares my suspicion this isn't the same effect as watching Hi-Def TV.

"I don't know about that, but it does make everything clearer," says Anna Wanamaker of Cape Girardeau.

"There's a different tint. It cuts down on the glare," says Phyllis.

And that's the key....the amber tint, as I learned from optometrist Dr. Alan Branson of Eye Care for You.

"People who have trouble with lighting outside usually have trouble with lighting anyway, and need extra help. That's a good product. It does physically block the blue light out that causes the problem," explains Dr. Branson.

He proves that with some more expensive polarized lenses he shows me. So, once again, it comes down to 'you get what you pay for.'

While the HD Wraparounds might work now, they are a cheap plastic, and it's one size fits all, so keep that in mind.

So, is the final letter grade less fuzzy?

"A or A minus. Yeah, i'd give it an 'A'," says Phyllis as the others sitting next to her nod their head in agreement.

"Good one!" says Neva Kaye.

"B plus," says Dr. Branson.

Either way, all good grades, but I'm going to go with the doc' on this one, only because I feel the $20 shades might not hold up too long after everyday wear. However, after hearing this next comment, I just might need to buy the whole Heartland a pair. Listen in.....

Gary Metje says, " You know, Lauren, you look a lot better in person than you do on TV!"

I joke, "It's the glasses!" as laughter, once again, erupts in the cafe. What a fun group, those Penny Loafers!